Ski harness



Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved ski harness and its principal objects include the provision of a clamp involving a toggle joint including a lever working toward the rear of the ski to tighten the heel cable and which will cover a movable slotted adjusting bar adapted to be engaged by a forwardly extending connecting member attached to the cable in such a manner that the cable cannot work loose when th'e parts are clamped; the provision of an adjusting bar adapted to be drawn forwardly of the ski to clamped condition, said bar having a plurality of closely spaced narrow transverse slots any of which may be entered by a downwardly and forwardly projecting connecting member attached to the heel cable so that the forwardly projecting portion thereof underlies a strip between slots to be firmly held thereby against vertical movement in the forward, clamped position of the adjusting bar; and the provision of an adjustable ski harness of simplified but rugged construction which embodies a flne cable adjustment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear4 hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a ski cable clamp embodying the invention and shown in clamped position;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts in loosened condition and partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the parts in Fig, 2

and looking in the direction of arrow 3 in that gure;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the movable adjusting bar 'showing the narrow slots providing for ne adjustment of the cable connection;

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of a form of cable connection;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the angle at which the cable connection must be entered into and removed or dislodged from the adjusting bar;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the cable connection in working position with the adjusting bar; and

Fig. 9 shows a modified cable connection.

In carrying out this invention, the ski I 0 is provided with the usual shoe support, toe irons, etc., as fully illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 261,393, led March 11, 1939, now Patent No. 2,253,889, dated August 26, 1941 it being contemplated that the usual spring heel cable l2, substantially as shown in said applica- .tion will be used with the present harness and clamp. This cable may embody th'e double type illustrated in part in Figs. 1 to 3 and 6 of the present case, or the single type as shown in Fig. 9.

A bracket I4 having upstanding side flanges I6 and forward ears I8 is fixed to the forward end ofthe ski longitudinally thereof, either on a flat or a ridged ski, as shown in Fig. 4. A pair of links 20 are pivoted on th'e ears and are themselves pivoted to an intermediate portion of a flanged lever 22 having an end linger grip 24. This lever is pivoted at its other end to an adjusting bar 26 having side flanges 28' spaced wider apart than flanges I6, although this relation-may be interch'anged without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A series of narrow transverse slots 30 spaced by strips 32 of similar width are located in the adjusting bai` 26, and it will be seen that lever 22 draws the adjusting bar forwardly as it is pivoted in the direction of the larrow in Fig. 2, for the purpose of and as described in my copending application above identified.

In the double cable type of harness, the ends of the cables enter cylindrical housings 34 at the sides of a flat plate 36 and are crimped f therein in spaced relation. Plate 36 is provided with a narrow forwardly extending portion 38 which is bent down at 40 and then forwardly at an angle as at 42 to form a downwardly and forwardly extending connection member for entry in any slot 30, as occasioned by th'e heel cable y' tension or adjustment desired.

'I'he entry of the connection member may be done for example approximately at the angle shown in Fig. 7 and with the lever 22 in forward or unclamping position, and it is a very important aspect of the invention -that the plate 36 cannot be removed from the adjusting bar except by pivoting the member and then lifting it. Hence th'e connec-ting member and plate 36 cannot become loose or detached from the `adjusting bar with the parts in clamped or parallel condition as shown in Fig. 1, and there is no possibility of failure of the device, especiallyA s0 long as lever 22 is in clamping condition.` Fig. 8 illustrates th'e reason for this attribute of the device, which resides in the forward portion 42 underlying strip 32 next in advance of slot 30 chosen engagement of strip 32 just to the rear of the chosen slot 3|), with the rear surface of depending portion 40 just at the angle between the latter and the plate 36, so that the strain will be borne at this area and not at or near the free end of the connection member. If this were not the case, and the free end took a substantial part of the strain, it would be liable to bending and consequent failure. Portion 42 prevents a direct upward lift of plate 36 but it does not take the cable strain.

Where a single cable is desired, a plate 44 having side wings 46 crimped around the cable may be used to secure the connection member to the cable, but the connection member 4B, 42 is the same as above described, see Fig. 9.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a flexible heel cable assembly adapted to be used with a ski, said assembly including a cable and a connecting plate attached thereto adjacent its forwardmost extent with relation to the ski, said plate having an element extending toward the ski and then substantially forwardly thereof; with a movable adjusting bar, anges on said bar to space a part thereof from the ski, means to move said bar between cable tightening and loosening positions. and spaced narrow slots in the part of said bar spaced from the ski, the forwardly extending portion of said connecting plate being adapted to be entered in a selected slot at an angle to said bar and pivoted down into a position wherein the plate lies flat on the bar, said forwardly exten-ding portion then underlying a part of said bar forwardly of the selected slot, when said bar is in cable loosened position, said bar being adapted to be moved into cable tightened position with said connection in place.

2. In a ski harness having at least one flexible heel cable, the combination of a bracket adapted to be secured to a ski, and a slotted adjusting bar movable longitudinally of said ski and said bracket from cable tightened to cable loosened positions; with means to detachably secure said cable to said bar comprising an offset member secured to said cable, said member having a substantially forwardly extending portion, said member being adapted to be entered in a slot in said bar at an angle thereto and pivoted to a position wherein said forwardly extending portion underlies a part of said bar forwardly of said slot with said bar in loose position, and means to move said bar forwardly of the ski into cable tightened position, said means including a clamp to maintain said cable in its tightened position.

3. In a ski harness having a flexible heel cable, a bracket adapted to be secured to a forward portion of a ski, a flanged adjusting bar movable along said bracket forwardly and rearwardly of said ski with said flanges extending toward the ski, a toggle mechanism connecting said bracket and bar to draw the latter forwardly to a cable tightened position and to clamp the same at said position, a series of narrow transverse slots in said bar between the flanges thereof, means to detachably secure said cable to said bar in adjusted position comprising an offset member secured to said cable, said offset member having an angled free end, the latter being adapted to be inserted in a selected slot and passed therethru to seat said offset member in said slot in a position wherein said free end underlies a portion of said bar next to said selected slot, when said toggle mechanism is in cable loosened position.

4. In a ski harness, the combination of a bracket adapted to be secured to a ski, an adjusting bar having a slotted portion slidably associated with said bracket for movement longitudinally of said ski, said slotted portion being spaced from the ski, a link pivoted to said bracket at its forward end, and a clamping lever pivoted to said link intermediate the ends of the lever, said adjusting bar being pivoted to said lever adjacent one end thereof; with a iiexible heel cable, a plate at the forward end of the cable, a downwardly and forwardly offset projection on said plate, said lever being pivotable forwardly to move said adjusting bar rearwardly to a position wherein said plate may be manually positioned at an angle to said bar for insertion of said projection in a selected slot and subsequently moved into fiat overlying relation to said bar with said projection hooked thereto, and said lever being pivotable rearwardly to draw said bar forwardly to tension the cable and to clamp said bar in cable tensioned position, whereby the connection between cable and 'adjusting bar being once made, the cable may be repeatedly loosened and tightened without disturbing the same.

ELBERT H. CARROLL. 

